Dave Shearsmith
Member
BCRA Online Seminar Monday 12th May 2025 19:30to 21:00 Via Zoom
Limestone, dirt and iron: using cave magnets to understand the past
With: Bethany Fox, Senior Lecturer, Dept. Biological and Geographical Sciences, Univ. of Huddersfield
The natural world is full of tiny magnets: in the soil, in the water, and even in caves. These magnets have fascinating histories that can tell us about changes in the Earth's magnetic field, about rainfall and temperature, about soil microbes and even about industrial pollution. While scientists have been studying natural magnets for many years, it is only recently that magnetometers have become sensitive enough to measure the magnetism of cave deposits, like stalagmites and stalactites. This talk will introduce the wonderful world of cave magnetism, focusing particularly on our recent magnetic study of the flooding history of Waipuna Cave, New Zealand.
Limestone, dirt and iron: using cave magnets to understand the past
With: Bethany Fox, Senior Lecturer, Dept. Biological and Geographical Sciences, Univ. of Huddersfield
The natural world is full of tiny magnets: in the soil, in the water, and even in caves. These magnets have fascinating histories that can tell us about changes in the Earth's magnetic field, about rainfall and temperature, about soil microbes and even about industrial pollution. While scientists have been studying natural magnets for many years, it is only recently that magnetometers have become sensitive enough to measure the magnetism of cave deposits, like stalagmites and stalactites. This talk will introduce the wonderful world of cave magnetism, focusing particularly on our recent magnetic study of the flooding history of Waipuna Cave, New Zealand.
